Jeff Chiu / Associated PressCliff Lee is just 2-2 since joining the Texas Rangers, but there can be no questioning how much he helps the Rangers' postseason ambitions.

HOT CORNERVictory from above: The Twins beat the Rays, 8-6, Thursday when Jason Kubel’s ninth-inning pop up hit a catwalk about 190 feet above the playing surface at Tropicana Field, The ball landed about 15 feet behind the pitcher’s mound as a run scored from third base to break a 6-6 tie. Since the catwalk, the highest of four that supports the roof, was in fair territory and the ball landed in fair territory, it was in play.“It pretty much can’t happen any place but here,” Rays manager Joe Maddon told the Associated Press. “I know it works both ways, but to lose a game in a pennant situation like that because of a roof indicates why there’s a crying need for a new ballpark.”

Only in the movies: In the newly released movie “The Other Guys,” starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, Wahlberg’s character accidentally shoots Derek Jeter, who plays himself in his acting debut. Since Ferrell and Wahlberg play New York City detectives, this does not put them in good stead with the department.In real life, Wahlberg is a Red Sox fan, but it’s probably going to take more than an imaginary bullet for Boston to get back in the AL East race against first-place New York. They play Game 3 of a pivotal four-game series Sunday against the Yankees in the Bronx.

Quick ascent: In June, left-hander Chris Sale was drafted in the first round by the White Sox. On Wednesday, they brought him to the big leagues to pitch out of the bullpen.Sale, the 13th player taken in the draft and the first to make the big leagues, signed for $1.65 million. He made seven appearances in the minors with a combined 2.61 ERA with 19 strikeouts and 10 1/3 innings at Class A Winston-Salem and Class AAA.The Indians have not signed their No.1 pick, Drew Pomeranz from the University of Mississippi. Pomeranz, taken with the fifth overall pick, passed his physical and negotiations are ongoing, but nothing is close. The deadline is Aug. 16.According to Baseball America, MLB’s unofficial slotting price for the fifth pick in the draft is $2.52 million. Kansas City, which took shortstop Cristian Colon with the fourth pick, paid him $2.75 million.Fourteen of the first 32 players drafted have signed.

THE RANTI don’t think a lack of interpreters for Latino ballplayers is the real reason White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen stuck his foot in his mouth (again) last week. I think it probably has more to do with money than solving the riddles of the English language. Big league teams have been exploiting Latin American players not covered by the amateur draft for years.It’s a great source of cheap labor for them. Why else does almost every big-league club have a “baseball academy” in the Dominican Republic instead of Los Angeles or Miami? Both cities and the surrounding state are teeming with good young ballplayers, but teams have to pay top dollar for that talent in the draft. In countries such as the Dominican, Venezuela and Panama, teams sign players of their own choosing at their own price. It has created a culture where street agents train young players, often lying about their ages and convincing them to take performance-enhancing drugs, so they can sell them for a higher price to professional teams.Commissioner Bud Selig dispatched trouble shooter Sandy Alderson to the Dominican Republic to try and find a workable solution to this problem and many others. A world wide draft could help, but it would be difficult and expensive. It would take the middle men, the street agents, out of the picture and they will not go easily.It would also increase the cost of doing business in Latin America for big-league clubs, who have been profiting from their bargain-basement hunting there for years.— Paul Hoynes

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Texas Rangers have some explaining to do.

How does a team that was supposedly broke trade for the best pitcher on the planet? Getting Cliff Lee is just the start of it; they added catcher Bengie Molina and infielders Cristian Guzman and Jorge Cantu before the July 31 deadline to increase their payroll by about $10 million.

There's more. The Rangers, fighting to keep body and soul together this year, are running away with the AL West. They haven't won a division title since 1999 and have won only one postseason game in their existence.

It has been an unusual year for Texas.

In spring training, it was revealed manager Ron Washingtontested positive for cocaine use during the 2009 season. Predictions that Washington wouldn't make it through the season quickly followed.

Then there was the financial state of the team. Not only were they broke, but in May they filed for bankruptcy. Last year, former owner Tom Hicks defaulted on a reported $525 million in loans. He accepted an offer of $575 million from Hall of Famer Nolan Ryanand Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg to buy the club.

Hicks' creditors protested, saying the club could have been sold at a higher price through auction. They were also leery because it was known that MLB preferred the Ryan-Greenberg group. The creditors blocked the sale and an auction took place last week in a Forth Worth, Texas federal courthouse.

It lasted 15 hours. Ryan and Greenberg were bidding against Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Houston businessman Jim Crane. The bid went to Greenberg and Ryan at close to $600 million just before 1 p.m. on Thursday. The opening bidding started at $510 million.

"It was an emotional roller-coaster," said Ryan told reporters. "You go to court one day and it didn't go your way, but you go back another day and it would. It's a relief."

The Rangers are the third MLB club to be sold at auction. Peter Angelos purchased the Baltimore Orioles in 1993 and in 1970 a Milwaukee car salesman named Bud Selig purchased the Seattle Pilots and turned them into the Milwaukee Brewers. Selig, of course, is MLB's commissioner.

Hicks' creditors reportedly made out as well. In the original deal they were going to receive $75 million. The auction increased that amount significantly.

As for swinging the deadline deals, GM Jon Daniels received an estimated $7 million back for Lee, Molina, Guzman and Cantu. An increase in attendance helped pay for the rest of the payroll increase.

Now all the Rangers have to do is win their division. Entering Saturday they had a 9 1/2 game lead over Oakland. The Angels are in the dust. The Mariners, their thoughts of contention foiled, traded Lee to the Rangers.

Texas has always been able to hit. What they haven't been able to do until the last couple of years is pitch. Their bullpen is second is ERA and saves in the AL. Closer Neftali Feliz is 29-for-31 in save situations.

The rotation is led by Lee andC.J. Wilson, both 10-5. Lee is 2-2 as a Ranger.

With ownership settled and MLB owners expected to give their approval later this week, the Rangers can turn their attention to the present. Lee, Guerrero and six others are eligible for free agency this winter. Hamilton can be a free agent after next year.

Could normalcy be setting in Arlington, Texas?

In July, an off-duty Texas fireman fell out of the second deck while reaching for a foul ball during a game at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Two days later, Tyler Morris left the hospital with a fractured skull, sore ankle and a Rangers jersey given to him by Ryan.

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